Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Shi Jia Zhuang (Agenzia Fides) – The priests and religious of mainland China have recalled Abbot Thomas Timothy Kelly, OSB, Abbot of Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota (USA), with deep emotion as a benefactor and friend of the Catholic community of China mainland, especially of Chinese priests and religious, many of whom have studied at his Abbey. Abbot Kelly died October 7, 2010, at the age of 76, after suffering from cancer of the esophagus. According to information from his monastery, the funeral will be held today, October 13 at 3:30pm in the church of the monastery.
In several dioceses in China, especially where there are priests and nuns who knew him, Masses were celebrated for the repose of his soul. Among the many testimonies received by Fides, one priest said: "We are confident that we now have an intercessor in heaven before the Lord, one who loves the Church in China,” and another priest said: “He is my personal example of the priesthood, a man of great holiness. For many years, Abbot Kelly welcomed opened the Abbey of St. John to the priests, seminarians, and religious from mainland China, "as a father." Some of them tell “Faith,” in He Bei, "he had great compassion, care, love, and support for the Church in China, and helped the Church and American society to know the true face of the Church of China and Chinese society, lovingly promoting the cultural exchange between China and the United States." He had many "Chinese dreams," such as a Catholic publication, the translation of theological texts, the formation of seminarians, priests, and religious. He founded the "Theological Foundation for Translation," to meet the urgent needs of the Church in China and during his many trips to China "he left his love, his openness, and above all, his mark as a man of God."
Abbot Kelly, in 1996, promoted the establishment of a "Benedictine Commission for Chinese Affairs," composed of Abbot Primate Notker Wolf, Archabbot Douglas Nowicki and Archabbot Jeremias Schröder. They meet once a year to reflect on the experience of the Benedictines in China and the Chinese diaspora. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 13/10/2010)
